Joseph Gordon-Levitt says the word “celebrity” makes his “skin crawl.”
Some people may have the same visceral reaction to Gordon-Levitt’s upcoming film, “Don Jon,” which he wrote, directed and starred in. Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut centers around a porn addict who is constantly disappointed by real relationships.
But don’t say that “Don Jon” is about pornography.
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“I wasn’t interested in making a movie about pornography,” Gordon-Levitt told Out Magazine. “I was interested in making a movie about how people treat each other like things, and all kinds of media can contribute to that.”
Gordon-Levitt’s personal relationships have been the subject of public scrutiny. His short film, “Pictures of Assholes,” in 2006, turned the camera on paparazzi who were trying to insinuate that the man he was photographed with was his boyfriend.
The publication asked why Gordon-Levitt never felt pressure to respond to such public questioning.
He responded, “That would be really tacky — they would win if I had to clarify.”
“Don Jon,” which also stars Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore, lands in theaters Sept. 27.